Police Pull Man From United Airlines Flight at O'Hare

United Airlines is being criticized after cellphone video surfaced of a passenger being forcibly removed from an at-capacity flight leaving from Chicago's O'Hare Airport Sunday night. NBC 5's Susan Carlson reports. (Published Tuesday, April 11, 2017)

Video of a passenger being dragged from an at-capacity United Airlines flight on Sunday has prompted a major backlash on social media, with some vowing never to fly the carrier again.

Three security guards were seen hauling the passenger off a United jet bound for Louisville, Kentucky, at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Sunday. He was selected at random to be removed because the flight was at capacity, and only overbooked when the airlne realized employees needed four seats on board, according to the airline's description of events.

"United" was trending on Twitter Monday morning, and some people online were promising a boycott of United after seeing the video. The man, who has yet to be publicly identified but whom other passengers have said was a doctor, screamed as he was taken from his seat.

Ask for volunteers then physically assault someone for not volunteering? And you're defending this? Wow. Never flying United. https://t.co/tLmO3a07k2

Others recalled last week's uproar over a tone-deaf Pepsi commercial, where model Kendall Jenner hands a police officer a can of soda at a protest, suddenly defusing all the tension. The ad was quickly pulled, but became an internet sensation.

Some on Twitter Monday reflected on how the purported problem-solving power of a Pepsi might have helped in this situation, while others felt that the major brand was benefiting from another's big blunder taking the spotlight.

Send Kendall Jenner over to United Airlines with a six-pack of Pepsi to straighten the mess out.

This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened. We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly with him to address and resolve this situation.

But earlier Monday, an airline spokesman told The Associated Press employees were "following the right procedures" in calling law enforcement because the flight was overbooked after the airline realized four employees needed seating, and it couldn't leave with too many passengers on board.